Towel Access Shower Door

ABSTRACT

An apparatus is adapted to function as a towel rack access door set within a shower door. The apparatus is operatively mounted within the shower door on at least one hinge and has at least one towel rack on at least one (1) side such that the towel rack is generally kept on the outside of the shower door. The apparatus offers the user the ability open the towel rack access door to retrieve the towel without stepping out of the shower itself.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present invention was first described in and claims the benefit ofU.S. Provisional Application No. 61/934,118, filed Jan. 31, 2014, theentire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a towel rack access door setwithin a shower door.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A part of just about everyone's daily ritual is that of bathing. Whetherdone in a bath or shower, drying oneself off with a towel is an integralpart of such an activity. Because such towels remain outside the showeror bath enclosure while bathing, the user must open the door, step out,and grab the towel. This action causes a large amount of water to bedeposited on the floor leading to clean up tasks at the least, andperhaps generates a safety hazard of slipping and falling as well. Someusers may place the towel over the top of the shower door beforebeginning a shower, but such action leads to at least a portion of thetowel getting wet before use. Others seem to perpetually forget to placea towel in such a position beforehand. Accordingly, there exists a needfor a means by which access to a towel after bathing can be provided,without the disadvantages as described above. The development of theshower door fulfills this need.

The apparatus is a revolving door incorporated into the main shower doorof a bathing enclosure, which allows a user to obtain a towel withoutopening the main shower door. A center portion of the main door isprovided with an opening through which a separate revolving door isrotatingly attached. When in a closed state, the revolving door is heldin position by a seal disposed about a perimeter of the opening of themain door, which also prevents water leakage and protects againstincidental damage. At least one (1) surface of the revolving door isprovided with a towel rack. Thus, when the user has completed theirshower or bath, a simple push on the revolving door brings the towelwithin the enclosure. This happens without opening the main shower door,reaching outside the enclosure, or accessing the enclosure exterior inany manner.

Prior art in this field consists of shower and bath enclosures providedwith elaborate drain assemblies to capture water that escapes theenclosure and directs it to a drain. While these systems suppress waterspillage onto the greater bathroom floor area, water still escapes ontothe floor. Furthermore, users still must access the outside of theenclosure to obtain a towel. Other prior art exists having rotatingdoors placed within a partition wall or secondary door. These doors arepivotally attached to the partition wall/secondary door and areconfigured to swing away from the partition wall/secondary door andtowards the user actuating the door. These doors are adapted to grantaccess to the opposing side of the partition wall/secondary door, but doso by creating an obstruction to users pulling the door towards them.These doors further require some sort of latch or tensioner to maintainthe door in a closed position, which adds weight and complexity whilealso detracting from the functionality and aesthetics of the device.

It is an objective of the present invention to provide a rotating doorincorporated into a shower door that grants access to an exterior of theenclosure to which the shower door is attached without having to exitthe enclosure.

It is a further objective of the present invention to configure therotating door to enable access to a towel hung on a towel bar attachedto the rotating door while obviating the need to reach outside theenclosure.

It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a sealdisposed about a perimeter edge of an opening to which the rotating dooris attached to obviate water exiting the enclosure, prevent incidentaldamage to either the rotating door or shower door, and to assist withholding the rotating door in a closed position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The apparatus is a rotating towel door equipped with a handle and atowel bar set into an opening of a shower door. The towel door is apanel pivotally affixed to the shower door via at least one (1) pivot toenable three-hundred sixty degree)(360° rotation of the towel door aboutthe pivot. Disposed about the perimeter edge of the opening is a seal toprovide a water-tight gasket engagement between the shower door andtowel door, as well as to assist with holding the towel door in a closedposition. At least one (1) surface of the towel door is provided with atowel bar, which is configured to support a towel when hung upon it. Thetowel bar is further configured to enable three-hundred sixtydegree)(360° rotation of the towel door about the pivot without creatingan obstruction to such rotation. At least one (1) surface of the toweldoor is further provided with a handle to assist a user withmanipulation of the towel door.

Each pivot comprises a pivot knuckle, pivot pin, and pivot receiver.Each pivot knuckle is affixed to the shower door, and each pivotreceiver is affixed to the towel door. The pivot pin is inserted into apivot knuckle and corresponding pivot receiver to enable rotation aboutthe pivot pin.

Furthermore, the described features and advantages of the disclosure maybe combined in various manners and embodiments as one skilled in therelevant art will recognize. The disclosure can be practiced without one(1) or more of the features and advantages described in a particularembodiment.

Further advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from aconsideration of the drawings and ensuing description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The advantages and features of the present disclosure will become betterunderstood with reference to the following more detailed description andclaims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in whichlike elements are identified with like symbols, and in which:

FIG. 1 is an environmental view of a towel access shower door 10installed in a shower door 100 in accordance with the preferredembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an environmental view of the towel access shower door 10pivoted to place a towel 110 inside an enclosure 105 in accordance withthe preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a detail view of a panel 22 of the towel access shower door 10illustrating the fastener apertures 36 in accordance with the preferredembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a detail view of an upper pivot 60 and a lower pivot 80 of thetowel access shower door 10 in accordance with the preferred embodimentof the present invention; and,

FIG. 5 is a section view along a line A-A as shown on FIG. 4 cut throughthe upper pivot 60 of the towel access shower door 10 in accordance withthe preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTIVE KEY

-   -   10 towel access shower door    -   16 insert aperture    -   20 towel door    -   22 panel    -   24 panel adornment    -   25 exterior surface    -   26 interior surface    -   28 handle    -   32 handle stabilizer    -   34 handle fastener    -   36 fastener aperture    -   38 handle gasket    -   40 towel bar    -   42 bar    -   44 towel bar bracket    -   46 bracket stabilizer    -   48 bracket gasket    -   52 bracket fastener    -   60 upper pivot    -   62 pivot knuckle    -   64 pivot pin    -   65 shoulder    -   66 pivot receiver    -   67 receiver well    -   68 pivot stabilizer    -   72 pivot gasket    -   74 pivot fastener    -   80 lower pivot    -   90 aperture seal    -   92 web    -   94 side    -   96 lip    -   100 shower door    -   105 enclosure    -   110 towel

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms ofits preferred embodiment, herein depicted within FIGS. 1 through 5.However, the invention is not limited to the described embodiment, and aperson skilled in the art will appreciate that many other embodiments ofthe invention are possible without deviating from the basic concept ofthe invention and that any such work around will also fall under thescope of this invention. It is envisioned that other styles andconfigurations of the present invention can be easily incorporated intothe teachings of the present invention, and only one particularconfiguration shall be shown and described for purposes of clarity anddisclosure and not by way of limitation of scope.

The terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity,but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced items.

The present invention describes a towel access shower door (hereinreferred to as the “apparatus”) 10, which provides a user who has justcompleted a shower or bath with convenient access to a bath towel 110 bypivotally rotating a door insert equipped with hardware to support sucha towel 110. This obviates the need to open the shower door 100 prior todrying themselves.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, environmental views of the apparatus 10installed in a shower door 100 according to the preferred embodiment ofthe present invention, are disclosed. The apparatus 10 is configured tobe a towel door 20 equipped with a handle 28 and a towel bar 40 set intoan insert aperture 16 on a vertical, centrally aligned upper pivot 60and lower pivot 80. The insert aperture 16, as well as any requiredfastener apertures 36, must be cut into the glass of a shower door 100prior to tempering that glass. The size of the insert aperture 16 isapproximately twenty four square inches (24 in²), however, thedimensions of the opening or the radius provided on any of the cornersshould not be seen a limitation of the scope of the apparatus 10. Theperimeter of the insert aperture 16 is preferably covered with anaperture seal 90 to prevent water leakage around the towel door 20 andto protect the edge against incidental damage. The aperture seal 90 ispreferably configured to have generally a “U”-shaped cross-section witha web 92 in contact with the edge of the insert aperture 16 and a side94 in contact with the interior face, as well as another symmetricalside 94 in contact with the exterior face of the shower door 100 as seenin FIG. 4. The aperture seal 90 has a lip 96 to create an enhancedcontact with the exterior surface 25 as well as the interior surface 26and the edge of the panel 22 to seal against the towel door 20 and toassist with holding the panel 22 in place in a closed position. It isenvisioned for this lip 96 to be configured with contours complementingthat of the engagement with the exterior surface 25, interior surface26, and edge of the panel 25 for adequate abutment thereto. The apertureseal 90 is preferably composed of a resilient material such as nitrilewhich can be presented in several different colors. It is understoodthat other materials, such as neoprene, or rubber, may be utilizedwithout limiting the scope of the apparatus 10.

The towel door 20 is preferably configured to be a tempered glass panel22, as illustrated in FIG. 3, having an exterior surface 25, an interiorsurface 26, and any necessary fastener apertures 36 as required for theattachment of ancillary hardware. Other materials, such as polycarbonatesheet material, may also be utilized. The panel 22 must be sized to fitinto the insert aperture 16 and form a liquid-tight seal against theaperture seal 90. The panel 22 may be transparent, translucent, or maybe provided with any adornment 24 to suit the taste of a user. Suchadornment 24 may include, but not be limited to, frosting or stipplingin any pattern, deviations in the planar surface such as waves, ribs, orother embossment, or any appliqué as may suit the taste of a user.

Disposed along an exterior surface 25 of the panel 22 and located nearthe upper edge thereof is a towel bar 40. The towel bar 40 may be anyhorizontal bar 42, of any cross-sectional shape or material, projectingfrom the panel 22 by means of towel bar brackets 44 capable ofsupporting a towel 110. The towel bar 40 preferably comprises stainlesssteel, brass, plastic, or other noncorrosive material. The towel barbrackets 44 may be of any configuration or material and may be integralto the bar 42 or independent as may suit the taste of a user. The towelbar brackets 44 are attached to the panel 22 preferably by means of atleast one (1) bracket fastener 52 inserted through appropriately sizedand located fastener apertures 36. The bracket fastener 52 is preferablyconfigured to be a stainless steel, or brass, threaded fastener. Thetowel bar 40 is configured in overall length and amount of projectionfrom the panel 22 such that an ample clearance will remain between thetowel bar 40 and the perimeter of the insert aperture 16 when the toweldoor 20 is pivoted to the interior of the shower enclosure 105. Abracket stabilizer 46, preferably configured to be a metal, or rigidthermoplastic, plate is placed between the head of the bracket fastener52 and the interior surface 26 of the panel 22 prior to securing thetowel bar brackets 44 into position. The purpose of the bracketstabilizer 46 is to spread the stress of the clamping load of thebracket fasteners 52 over a greater area of the panel 22 therebyreducing the unit stress load. A bracket gasket 48, preferably composeda stable, resilient, natural or synthetic rubber, is located between thebracket stabilizer 46 and the interior surface 26 of the panel 22 toform a seal against water leakage through the fastener aperture 36.

Disposed along an interior surface 26 of the panel 22 and located near avertical edge thereof is a handle 28. The handle 28 may be disposedalong either the right vertical edge or the left vertical edge as eitherconfiguration will perform equally well. The purpose of the handle 28 isto assist a user in the manipulation of the towel door 20 to result in arotational motion about the centrally located pivot points. The handle28 is preferably composed of a metal; however, other materials, such asa rigid thermoplastic material, may be utilized. The handle 28 may beconfigured in many different styles to suit the taste of a user. Thehandle 28 is attached to the panel 22 by means of at least one (1)handle fastener 34. The handle fastener 34 is preferably configured tobe a stainless steel, or brass, threaded fastener. A handle stabilizer32, preferably configured to be a metal or rigid thermoplastic, plate isplaced between the head of the handle fastener 34 and the exteriorsurface 25 of the panel 22 prior to securing the handle 28 intoposition. The purpose of the handle stabilizer 32 is to spread thestress of the clamping load of the handle fasteners 34 over a greaterarea of the panel 22 thereby reducing the unit stress load. A handlegasket 38, preferably composed a stable, resilient, natural or syntheticrubber, is located between the handle stabilizer 32 and the exteriorsurface 25 of the panel 22 to form a seal against water leakage throughthe fastener aperture 36. Since the door may be rotated equally well bya pushing force on the edge of the panel 22, the towel door 20 could beconfigured without the handle 28.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a detail view of the upper pivot 60 and thelower pivot 80, and FIG. 5, a section view along line A-A as seen inFIG. 4, of the apparatus 10, according to the preferred embodiment ofthe present invention, are disclosed. The apparatus 10 is supported onan upper pivot 60 and a lower pivot 80. The upper pivot 60 and the lowerpivot 80 are identical so the detailed description of one (1) applies tothe other. For each pivot 60, 80, a pair of pivot knuckles 62 isattached to the shower door 100 in proximity to the insert aperture bymeans of at least one (1) pivot fastener 74. The pivot fastener 74 ispreferably configured to be a stainless steel, or brass, threadedfastener. One (1) pivot knuckle 62 is located at a central point alongthe upper perimeter of the panel aperture 16 while another pivot knuckle62 is located similarly along the lower perimeter of the panel aperture16. The pivot knuckle 62 is provided with a pivot pin 64 which isconfigured to be a short cylindrical shaft having an offset in thediameter at approximately the mid-length thereof with a demarcationbeing a shoulder 65. The pivot pin 64 is preferably inserted, by meansof a press fit, into an appropriately sized opening in the pivot knuckle62. The pivot knuckle 62 could alternately be a unitary fabrication withthe pivot pin 64 so long as the features of the smaller diameter and theshoulder 65 are retained. A pivot receiver 66 is attached to an upperportion of the panel 22 at a central location on the exterior surface 25thereof by means of at least one (1) pivot fastener 74. Another pivotreceiver 66 is attached similarly to a lower portion of the panel 22.The pivot receivers 66 are configured to have a receiver well 67, whichis configured to be an aperture sized to accommodate the smallerdiameter of the pivot pin 64 with a sliding fit.

Contact between the shoulders 65 of the pivot pins 64 and the upperfaces of the pivot receivers 66 of both the upper pivot 60 and the lowerpivot 80 is intended to be the support and limit of vertical travel ofthe panel 22. The pivot knuckle 62, the pivot pin 64, and the pivotreceiver 66 are preferably composed of a thermoplastic material andformed in injection molding dies. It is understood; however, that othermaterials, such as stamped or molded metal, may be utilized withoutlimiting the scope of the apparatus 10. A pivot stabilizer 68,preferably configured to be a metal or rigid thermoplastic, plate isplaced between the head of the pivot fastener 74 and the interiorsurface 26 of the panel 22 prior to securing each of the pivot receivers66 into position. Similarly a pivot stabilizer 68 is placed between thehead of the pivot fastener 74 and the interior surface of the showerdoor 100 prior to securing each of the pivot knuckles 62 into position.The purpose of the pivot stabilizers 68 is to spread the stress of theclamping load of the pivot fasteners 74 over a greater area of the panel22, or of the shower door 100, thereby reducing the unit stress load. Apivot gasket 72, preferably composed a stable, resilient, natural orsynthetic rubber, is located between the pivot stabilizers 68 and thematerial of the panel 22, or of the shower door 100, to form a sealagainst water leakage through the fastener apertures 36.

It is envisioned that other styles and configurations of the presentinvention can be easily incorporated into the teachings of the presentinvention, and only one particular configuration shall be shown anddescribed for purposes of clarity and disclosure and not by way oflimitation of scope.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention can be utilized in asimple and straightforward manner with little or no training. Afterinitial purchase or acquisition of the apparatus 10, it would beinstalled as indicated in FIG. 1.

The method of installing and utilizing the apparatus 10 may be achievedby performing the following steps: acquiring a model of the apparatus 10having a desired style to suit the taste of a user; installing theshower door 100 to cover the enclosure 105; aligning the towel door 20to face outward from the enclosure 105; hanging a towel 110 on the towelbar 40; entering the enclosure and taking a shower in the customarymanner; turning off the water; pulling on the handle 28 to cause thetowel door 20 to pivot on the upper pivot 60 and the lower pivot 80 sothat the towel 110 enters the enclosure 105; removing the towel 110 fromthe towel bar 40; drying oneself in the customary manner; returning thetowel 110 to the towel bar 40; rotating the towel door 20 so that thetowel 110 is returned to the exterior of the enclosure 105; and exitingthe enclosure.

The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments have been presentedfor purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended tobe exhaustive or to limit to the precise forms disclosed and manymodifications and variations are possible in light of the aboveteachings. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to bestexplain principles and practical application to enable others skilled inthe art to best utilize the various embodiments with variousmodifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

1. An access door, comprising: a main door having an interior face andan exterior face, said main door adapted to provide a barrier to anenclosure opening providing an insert aperture; a panel having aninterior surface and an exterior surface, said panel adapted to providea barrier to said insert aperture; and, at least one pivot adapted torotatingly affix said panel to said main door within said insertaperture, said pivot configured to permit rotation of said panel abouteach of said pivot; wherein said panel is rotated about said pivots toselectively obstruct access through said insert aperture.
 2. The accessdoor recited in claim 1, wherein said main door and said panel areprovided with a plurality of fastener apertures.
 3. The access doorrecited in claim 2, wherein said pivot comprises: a pivot knuckleadapted to affix to said main door near a perimeter edge of said insertaperture; a pivot receiver adapted to affix to said panel near aperimeter edge thereof; a pivot pin rotatingly engaged with said pivotknuckle and said pivot receiver and configured to enable rotation ofsaid pivot receiver about an axis defined by said pivot pin.
 4. Theaccess door recited in claim 3, further comprising: at least one firstpivot fastener having a first pivot stabilizer and a first pivot gasketto fasten said pivot knuckle to said main door; and, at least one secondpivot fastener having a second pivot stabilizer and a second pivotgasket to fasten each pivot receiver to said panel; wherein said firstand second pivot stabilizers are configured to spread stress of aclamping load induced by each first and second pivot fastener; and,wherein said first and second pivot gaskets are configured to form aseal against water leakage.
 5. The access door recited in claim 1,further comprising an aperture seal disposed along at least oneperimeter edge of said insert aperture.
 6. The access door recited inclaim 5, wherein said aperture seal has a general “U”-shapedcross-section and configured to have a web in contact with saidperimeter edge of said insert aperture and sides in contact with saidinterior and exterior faces.
 7. The access door recited in claim 5,wherein said aperture seal is provided with a lip to maintain contactwith said exterior surface and said interior surface when said panel isrotated to fully obstruct access through said insert aperture.
 8. Theaccess door recited in claim 2, further comprising at least one handleadapted to affix to at least one of said interior surface and saidexterior surface via said fastener apertures.
 9. The access door recitedin claim 8, wherein said handle is configured to enable three-hundredsixty degree rotation of said panel without obstructing said rotation.10. The access door recited in claim 9, further comprising: at least onehandle fastener having a handle stabilizer and a handle gasket to fasteneach handle to said panel; wherein said handle stabilizers areconfigured to spread stress of a clamping load induced by each handlefastener; and, wherein said handle gaskets are configured to form a sealagainst water leakage.
 11. The access door recited in claim 2, furthercomprising at least one towel bar adapted to affix to at least one ofsaid interior surface and said exterior surface via said fastenerapertures.
 12. The access door recited in claim 11, wherein said towelbar is configured to enable three-hundred sixty degree rotation of saidpanel without obstructing said rotation.
 13. The access door recited inclaim 12, wherein each towel bar comprises: a bar; a first towel barbracket; a second towel bar bracket; at least one first bracket fastenerhaving a first bracket stabilizer and a first bracket gasket to fasteneach first towel bar bracket to said panel; and, at least one secondbracket fastener having a second bracket stabilizer and a second bracketgasket to fasten each second towel bar bracket to said panel; whereinsaid first and second bracket stabilizers are configured to spreadstress of a clamping load induced by each first and second bracketfastener; wherein said first and second bracket gaskets are configuredto form a seal against water leakage; and, wherein said first and secondtowel bar brackets are configured to receive and retain said bar in asubstantially horizontal manner.
 14. The access door recited in claim 1,wherein said insert aperture is approximately twenty four inches square.15. The access door recited in claim 1, wherein said main door istempered glass.
 16. The access door recited in claim 1, wherein saidpanel is tempered glass.
 17. The access door recited in claim 11,wherein said towel bars are noncorrosive metal.
 18. The access doorrecited in claim 11, wherein said towel bars are plastic.
 19. The accessdoor recited in claim 8, wherein said handles are noncorrosive metal.20. The access door recited in claim 8, wherein said handles areplastic.